At one point police believe Davids committed simple assault, a misdemeanor punishable by as much as 93 days in jail. Simple assault covers a range of non-injury and non-life-threatening acts.

A friend of the air marshals -- 34-year-old Columbus, Ohio resident Jon Holdsworth – is charged with aggravated assault, a misdemeanor with a maximum of one year behind bars. The charge is defined as “assault, without a weapon, that results in a serious or aggravated injury.”

Cody Zink, a 24-year-old information technology manager, said he was watching the assault take place and stepped up to try and talk to the assailants.

“Someone said something about calling the cops and they said something like ‘don’t worry about the cops, we’re the cops,’” Zink said. “We didn’t know they were air marshals. These guys are supposed to be protecting us and should be held to a higher standard.”

Zink said Davids kicked him in the groin and he saw Holdsworth delivering a severe beating to another person.

“He was bleeding from his face,” Zink said of the alleged victim.

Grand Rapids Police Lt. Mark Ostapowicz says Holdsworth apparently remains in Ohio and, unlike Davids, has not turned himself in. He said it is unlikely he would be shipped to Grand Rapids from another state.

“We usually only do extraditions on felonies,” Ostapowicz said.

Today, Davids pleaded not guilty as he was arraigned before Grand Rapids District Court Judge Kimberly Schaefer. He is scheduled to be back in court on Sept. 25 for a pretrial conference.